


Hongjoong's Mutiny

by Susimau



Series: Overshadow [6]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Anal Sex, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Character Death, Consensual Underage Sex, Joong is sixteen, M/M, Pirate!Hanbyeol, Pirate!Youjin, Read the Series first to understand this, Swordfighting, This is a Prequel to the Overshadow Series, pirate!hongjoong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: The beginning of how Hongjoong and his friends began the story of the pirate king.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Jeong Hanbyeol (BB Trippin), Kim Hongjoong/Kim Youjin (BB Trippin)
Series: Overshadow [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617121
Comments: 9
Kudos: 47





	Hongjoong's Mutiny

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the first one shot out of a series that I am doing for my Overshadow pirate AU. I recommend reading that one first!
> 
> TW: Blood and Gore, Underage sex (a sixteen-year-old and adults, all consensual), mentions of rape, Character Death, pirate stuff

"All 'ands 'oy! Batten down the 'atches an' prepare fer a storm! If any o' our cargo be lost later, I'll keelhaul all o' ye scurvy-infested sea basses!"

The call of the captain got the crew scrambling. The imposing aura that radiated off his tall figure at the helm left no room for discussion. He watched them darkly from underneath his tricorn as the hands hurried across the deck. Any tardiness or distraction got detected by him, and his sharp voice cut through the air like a whip as he called them out for it.

Hongjoong scurried across the planks as fast as he could move around the amount of spreading men. His skilled feet carried him right over to the railing, and with smooth momentum, he pulled himself up the rigging. The rough ropes were a familiar aid as he scaled them quickly. His slender body had no issues balancing on the uneven and swaying ladder as he reached the main gaff within several seconds.

Some other kid mirrored him on the opposite side of the sails as they dipped down and began pulling on the ropes that held the sails. The strain made Hongjoong's shoulder ache with dull pain as he pulled up the heavy white sheets. On all thee masts, at every sail, the same happened, and Hongjoong finished knotting the ropes up at the same time as the others. Only the headsail remained up and lonely against the pushy winds.

As he swung down on the remains of the rope to get back down on the deck, he did not take the time to look at the captain for approval. He had long since learned that everything he did that lived up to the work of a grown sailor was not enough. It was the expectation. If he sought approval, he had to do even better.

Hongjoong was left no break. His sharp eyes immediately found a batch of cargo that had yet to be secured. He ran over as he heard the first thunder rolling in the distance. The skies were covered by dark, rolling clouds that billowed like the fists of ancient giants that were reaching for them. The winds were picking up abnormally fast, pushing the thunder closer to them and the waves high on the ship.

The water had yet to breach the deck, but Hongjoong was also feeling the first drops of rain land on his nose coldly. They would get wet tonight.

Hongjoong's naked feet slid over the gradually wettening planks with graceful balance as he began rolling barrels over to the scuttle that opened to the cargo hold beneath. He could see Hanbyeol there, the tall male effortlessly lifting the heavy load underneath. As he spotted Hongjoong coming closer, he held his arms out waitingly. He allowed himself a faint smirk that seemed dark in the twilight of the storm. Hongjoong breathlessly copied it as he pushed the barrel over and ran to get the next one.

"Light the torches ye slow bastards! 'ow be ye plannin' to get work done with yer eyes closed?!"

Hongjoong continued with his work as some other men ran to get the task done. They were dangerously swaying on the waves, and dealing with the fire in the wet air was a great challenge, but they were used to it.

The noise of feet tapping on the by now wet blanks and men calling out for each other and ordering everybody around meant security. Even as Hongjoong struggled with his wet hair hanging in front of his eyes and blocking his view, he knew the routine. He knew that he had a crew around him that fought for survival just like he did.

As he was rolling the last barrel over to Hanbyeol, he finally allowed his aching back a short break as he looked around for more work. When there was none in sight at the moment, he busied his hands at helping Hanbyeol shut the hatch and secure it tightly. The cargo would get wet anyway, but if too much water came inside, they would sink.

Nobody wanted that.

The swaying oil lamps above their heads cast weak light down on the scrambling crew that had by now their clothes sticking on them. They were quick, as the first waves began sloshing through the bars of the wooden railing every cannon and crate that would stay on deck had already been secured.

Hanbyeol threw a quick glance over his shoulder to where the captain was ordering the people around before focusing back on his task. He shuffled a bit closer to Hongjoong as he did, his warmth seeping into the younger man's side.

"'ow ye feelin'? Still anxious?"

His deep voice was soothing on Hongjoong's tense nerves. Hanbyeol had always been a man Hongjoong could trust. He belonged to the younger men on board and while work-roughened and anything but nice, the man had a gentler way of dealing with the young lads on board than the old sea bears did. Hongjoong considered himself a strong pirate, but whenever they came after him, he was afraid.

The question - as carefully as it was poised - had Hongjoong gnawing on his lip. He was. Very much so.

Their captain had made a dangerous decision. On the last treasure hunt that had peaked with them finding huge amounts of money and valuable goods, their overjoyed captain had taken his reign over their ship a bit too far. With laughter and a harsh pat on Hongjoong's scrawny shoulders, he had announced that he would make him the next captain. According to him, no other person would be better since Hongjoong had inherited his bloodline.

The words had not pleased the crew. They had a rule of voting their captain, as rigged as it could get. They were supposed to have a say in these matters. Especially the old salts that worked closely with the captain had immediately turned to glare at Hongjoong as if they had wanted to cleave him to the brisket.

Ever since then, he felt watched. He was uneasy, overthinking his every step. He expected to be pushed into the sea at any time so they could get rid of him and get somebody else instead of a kid as their new captain.

Hongjoong was not meant to be a captain. He was the youngest on board, and any other mate would do a better job at leading a ship than him.

Hongjoong pushed his wet hair out of his eyes once more. His hands were shaking.

"Aye. I been uneasy fer weeks an' I been losin' sleep o'er it." Roughly, he pulled the rope taut, not minding how it bit into his palms as he wrapped it around the hook to keep the latch shut. Hanbyeol fastened some more planks over it.

"I spied yer deadlights gettin' tired, aye. Did ye talk to 'im?"

Hongjoong meekly shook his head. He did not dare to seek to speak to the captain privately. Even more so, he would get flogged for his weakness if he turned such a grand honour down. It would put a bad light on the captain, too.

Hanbyeol gave a hum in response. He finished his work and brusquely stood so he could find another thing to do. Hongjoong took a moment longer since the fear had his heart in his chest once more.

He wondered what would happen to him. There was no denying the risk of violent protests as soon as Hongjoong became captain. His father had basically signed his death sentence.

Hongjoong had nowhere to go and feel safe at. The men around him were wary of his presence and overlooked not a single moment to sneer and remind him of his position. Hongjoong would probably do best leaving the ship if only he could.

He had grown up here. He had nowhere to go. He did not even know how to live on land even if he had not been a criminal.

Hongjoong got up to his feet again after he tightened the last knot. The deck had fallen quieter behind him since most of the men had retreated to the safety of the ship's belly. A group of men was still at the helm where they helped the helmsman angle the stern of the ship towards the waves so that the fragile hull would not get crushed.

With the wind whipping into his face Hongjoong was one of the last to exit the deck. He left it to their experiences navigators to bring them through the storm and shook some water out of his hair as he entered the crew's quarters.

Hongjoong was shivering slightly from the rough weathers outside, but it was not bad enough for him to need a blanket. Instead, he just dried the water off his body as good as possible before joining the crew at dinner.

Inside the ship, the thunder outside was muffled and the sway seemed less dangerous. Hongjoong had long since beat the claustrophobia of this place, and he was thankful for the mug with grog that somebody put down in front of him. He tasted it without hesitation, leaving it to the alcohol to warm his body. The rest of the crew was laughing and bawling songs in a corner already, living their free life. None of them had any qualms at feeling happy.

Hongjoong felt uneasy.

Hanbyeol ultimately came over to sit next to him, so that none of the ruder mates would consider picking on him again. Camouflaged into having fun with their conversation, Hongjoong relaxed a bit more.

Things got easier when his best friend came over. Youjin appeared from the crowd of pirates with a big grin and laughter as they called after him. He left the spotlight shone on him in order to clamber onto the bench next to Hongjoong with more alcohol in tow. His breath reeked of it as he threw an arm over Hongjoong's shoulder to lean in close, but neither Hongjoong not Hanbyeol cared.

"Ahoy, picaroon! Ye been 'idin' yer pretty face away fer the 'ole day! What be the reason for ye to 'ang the jib?"

His voice was cheerful and friendly as it usually was. It brought up a twinge of trust in Hongjoong, as well as guilt. He had not shared his worries with his friend since he was scared to get laughed at. He should be able to defend himself without Youjin's help in case anything happened.

Instead of an answer, Hongjoong just leaned his head in the crook of the man's neck. He nuzzled in close as Youjin laughed light-heartedly. His snake lip piercing brushed Hongjoong's forehead as he smacked a wet kiss on his skin.

Hongjoong made a face, Hanbyeol snorted into his mug.

"Ye be like a baby. Wanna fool around later? Nothin' much to do 'ere during the storm."

Youjin was another one of the younger crew members. He was in between Hanbyeol and Hongjoong concerning his age, and just like Hongjoong, he had grown up on board. The two of them had been inseparable since early on, and Hongjoong remembered the two of them playing pranks on Hanbyeol when he had first joined them after the captain had found the curly-haired man at a dock and taken him in.

Hongjoong and Youjin were close, intimately so, but that was not an unusual thing for pirates to be. After all, there were no women around, and it was the easiest solution. Hongjoong liked him far more than the older crew members who were just as interested in his young body.

However, he never loved Youjin. Hongjoong did not believe in love.

"Aye. It will distract us." Distract Youjin from the storm, and Hongjoong from the fear of getting murdered in his sleep. At least he would be safe with Youjin by his side.

They went back to drinking then, Youjin's infectious good mood soon helping at calming Hongjoong's nerves. By the time they stumbled back to the crew quarters on unbalanced legs, the alcohol had pleasantly muffled Hongjoong's thoughts. He barely noticed the swaying of the sea and the storm howling outside anymore as Youjin pressed him up against a wall in the darker corners. Their lips missed each other the first time they tried to kiss, but after a round of giggles, Hongjoong found himself shut up by the warm metal that was followed by a soft mouth on his.

Youjin's kisses were impatient when he was drunk. He was already pulling on Hongjoong's clothes as they had just found their way into the comfortable darkness that the walls in the shadows spent. Hongjoong let him, his drunk mind all too willing and body already warm from the evening. His pants left his hips quickly, leaving his body exposed to the cool air of the ship as Youjin impatiently turned him around.

Hongjoong's chest was pressed against the cool wood, and his hands settled against it for leverage when Youjin leaned in and connected his tongue with Hongjoong's entrance. The man's moan echoed through the ship that was still filled with a merry conversation on one end, and the constant cackle of the chicken they kept in the bilge on the other. Hongjoong reached back with one hand to bury it in the man's locks, pushing and pulling on the ponytail of dreads as he pleased.

Hongjoong felt feverish by the time that Youjin decided he was ready to enter him, and he sunk back against the man and his length inside defencelessly. Youjin held him, pushing him against the wood and using their bodies as he pleased to pull them both into the maelstrom of sweet pleasure that seemed all the more intense with the thunder rolling in the background.

Hongjoong lost his sense of time as he just stood there until his legs were shaking and come was dripping from him. By the time that he and Youjin stumbled into their respective hammocks, even the rain seemed to have lessened.

Hongjoong slept deeply and peacefully. The alcohol kept him trapped in the land of dreams so successfully that he did not even hear when the screaming started.

-

Hongjoong awoke to the feeling of thirst.

As usual, after they had drunk the night away, his body was lacking fluids to cleanse his system. Thus, he rolled out of his bed to pad through the ship quietly in search for the galley.

The ship was eerily silent.

Usually, there was some kind of conversation somewhere nearby. They needed people awake at all times of the day, and especially now during a storm, it was the most important post one could have. Hongjoong figured the hurricane had settled enough for them all to allow themselves to be knocked out by the rum.

With a shake of his head, he continued. While he was walking, he massaged his sore hips, not regretting it in the least to have been on the receiving end tonight. He could still regret it tomorrow when he had to scale the rigging again. Today, he just needed his water and to go back to bed.

However, what he found in the galley was more than he had bargained for.

He had never been particularly close with the ship's cook, only through the connection of Youjin's dad, who was in charge of the food provisions and livestock. The only thing Hongjoong had ever gotten out of their relationship was hits with a spoon whenever he stole part of their rations.

Finding said man on the kitchen floor impaled by multiple of his cooking knives was unexpected.

Hongjoong immediately stumbled back from the location of death, not bothering to check if the man was still alive. The pool of blood around him spoke of obvious circumstances. He did blink a few times, though, trying to regain his senses through the haze of alcohol. When he finally understood, cold fear crept into his heart.

Their cook had been murdered.

An enemy was on the ship.

Hongjoong threw his body around to hurry and report the incident. He was unaware of where a potential attacker could have come from and if he had been caught yet. At the horrible silence on board, Hongjoong could only assume the worst.

He considered going back and alerting Youjin of his findings, but as he thought about it more, he also could not remember seeing Youjin in his hammock. As it seemed, everybody had fallen eerily quiet.

Hongjoong ran through the ship without caring for the noise of his feet on the planks. His steps were desperate, and his eyes hastily flickered left and right in search of his crewmembers.

Fresh and even icier horror dawned upon him when he found the next body. It was in the storage area between the crew's quarters and the hatch that led to the deck. The corpse of their boatswain was sunken against a barrel that had been filled with salted seafood, and his guts spilt over the floor accompanied by a mass of dead fish that spread a nauseating smell all through the corridor.

Hongjoong barely glanced at him as he ran up the stairs with his heart in his throat. His hands were trembling as he used them to pull himself up the hatch, and he nearly slipped on the still wet deck.

A huge weight lifted from his shoulders as he heard voices.

They came from up the helm where the captain's quarters were, allowing Hongjoong to assume that they had already alerted the captain safely. The familiar gruff voices were a relief to his pounding heart as he turned to join them.

Only to freeze once more, his eyes widening. The second he turned, he became a witness of their navigator nailing a man to the mast. One of their crew members. Both of them had turned to stare at the sudden movement at the hatch, and Hongjoong could see the life drain from his mate's body as he died from being stabbed by his companion's sword.

The picture cleared up immediately. Only one word rose in Hongjoong's mind. A foul and scary word that meant a threat to anybody's lives.

_Mutiny._

And Hongjoong had not known of it. Which put him in a very bad position.

"No, what- Father! Captain! Wake up! Everybody wake up, them mates be commitin' mutiny!" His panicked cry came loud in the calm night. The air had considerably cooled down after the storm had settled, and the ocean and skies were calm again. Hongjoong's yell disrupted the sinister atmosphere the setting had, and hopefully alerted everybody on board.

However, all that he got was laughter. The navigator released the dead body from his grip and did not bother to wipe the glistening fresh blood off his weapon as he stepped closer to Hongjoong. The boy scrambled to move further back on the deck, his hands flying to his own sword that he wore at any times.

"Yellin' fer yer old man? That be not very manly!" His broad grin spoke of madness as more people emerged from the scuttle and helm behind him. Hongjoong could see Hanbyeol and Youjin, both thankfully healthy. His stomach dropped in a bottomless pit, however, as he saw the blood-stained weapons, their hands were holding.

"No- No! What be ye doin', this be mutiny! Cap will feed ye to the sharks fer this!"

"Oh, will ye? Tell me about it, lad. Yer father be not 'ere to 'ear ye anymore."

Hongjoong's brain skipped a second of work as the thought caught up with him. Then, his eyes went as wide as saucers as he still moved backwards over the planks.

"What?"

"Dead men tell no tales. Ye be our captain now." The man grinned a cruel smile that was amplified by some missing teeth and the madness in his eyes. There was no doubt that he was speaking the truth.

Hongjoong's heart was racing. They had killed the captain. All the murmurs and hidden glances these past few days had meant something. The crew had committed the highest of all crimes.

And here Hongjoong stood, as the source of all disagreements.

"But oh, we ain't satisfied with our new captain. We did nay get to vote 'im."

Hongjoong's eyes flicked over the group of armed pirates that had collected behind the navigator. They were a sizeable crew aboard the ship. Usually, they were 22 men everybody included, but given that some people were dead since they had sided with the captain, Hongjoong saw himself faced with the 14 remaining men that had chosen to betray the crew. And they all looked as if they were still out for blood.

Hongjoong's stomach was in twists, and he felt as if he had to vomit, but he swallowed the sour bile as good as possible. He had to think now, quick.

"L-listen, I never agreed with 'is terms. I do nay consider meself a captain, an' I be more than 'appy to step from that post an' vote fairly!" His voice was cracking around his desperate attempt at diplomacy. The crew was closing in on him with sardonic masks of glee painted on their faces.

They wanted to see him bleed. There was no way around it.

Hongjoong shook his hands out and squared his shoulders. He would not go down without a fight. He would take at least five of them down with him.

"That be nay necessary. We will resolve this issue by ourselves."

Hongjoong was tense all over. He did not feel prepared to fight, even less so against the people he had grown up with. He knew every single one of these men, and seeing them die was a thing he had only ever fought to prevent. The thought of being the one who took their lives had Hongjoong close to just handing himself over.

But yet, he was a pirate. He had learnt to fight at any times, even against people he was not comfortable killing.

With a resounding scrape of metal against metal, he ripped his sword from his hip. It laid in his hand as balanced as it would get. It was not perfect for his relatively small size compared to other men, but it was better than other swords he had had. Of course, it was also only the leftover that nobody else in the crew had wanted. He was at the lowest end of the hierarchy.

The crew regarded him with mocking grins painted on their faces. They saw him as nothing more than a little fish for them to toss around and swallow up whenever they so desired. They knew very well that he stood no chance against them.

Hongjoong had feared this moment so much, but now that it came to getting killed by his own crew he was not ready to face his fate.

Still, he dodged his first attacker with relative ease. He had been prepared for the navigator to lunge and his smaller built had always made him better at ducking underneath swords than crossing blades anyway. It had the deadly blade barely swish past him and harmlessly cut the air above his head.

For now, he was in luck. Only the navigator was attacking him, and since the disinterest in Hongjoong had always been just as big as the hawk eyes directed at him, the man had little idea how to find Hongjoong's weak spots.

Hongjoong, however, knew exactly how to react.

With a brutal slash of his cutlass, he hacked the blade against the man's weak leg that had taken heavy damage in a fight months prior. It had never healed quite well, and his complaining had seldomly ceased during the long nights that had him writhing with the fever that had come with the inflammation.

The man's agonised cry was laced with anger as he understood just how much he had underestimated the young boy. In the second he hesitated to regain his wits Hongjoong brought his sword up again with desperate momentum and slashed the man's throat.

With a choked gargle, the man stumbled back and fell onto his back, twitching. His blood was rapidly pooling around him like gruesome evidence of just how much better Hongjoong had to become to hold his fragile position in the crew. The pirate's trembles stopped after a moment, leaving only a lifeless corpse behind.

Hongjoong's shaky hands gripped the handle of his sword as if it was his only anchor in the world. As he faced the rest of the crew, he met shocked and angry faces. The crew was seething with rage, and Hongjoong knew that his time had come.

They all came at him at the same time. It was a mess of feet and weapons, and their unplanned attack had their anger turn into caution as they tried not to hurt each other while accessing Hongjoong all at once. 

Hongjoong had fewer hesitation. He hacked and fought away without abandon, not minding whose limb it was he was slicing open. He barely had the opportunity to defend himself against the attacks that pattered down on him like rain. He did, however, manage to distract the group of aggressive pirates by turning their own weapons against each other.

He saw one of the other men go down in the chaos of exposed blades and dropped to the ground just as quickly. The gap the man had left was filled just as quickly by another person, but they trampled over him blind in their fury as they went after the fallen boy. The alcohol in their veins disabled their ability to think clearly, leaving them to go after the wrong person for a few seconds as Hongjoong rolled away.

Hongjoong's side throbbed with pain from an injury he had gotten in the middle of the mess, but he was still quick at soundlessly running over to one of the cannons. Angling it at the angry group of pirates that had started turning on each other since one of them had grown suspicious of the body on the floor and stopped attacking it was easy. While they fought over whoever was more loyal to their mission of freedom, Hongjoong hastily cracked one of the heavy crates with utensils for the cannons open. It was still slightly wet, but he found the precious goods unscathed. 

He finished loading the cannon with burning muscles and was just fumbling with the matches when he noticed movement in the group. They had slain the supposed traitor by now and had turned the bodies around to notice their still drunken mistake indeed.

Hongjoong saw Youjin and Hanbyeol standing slightly aside already, probably having discussed their hesitation alone. The rest of remained conveniently together as they spotted Hongjoong.

It was too late before the first of them could yell a warning. 

With a boom that let Hongjoong's ears tingling, the cannon unloaded right on the deck. The deadly missile ripped several men apart as it hit them and let their blood splatter over the planks. It continued to rip a deep hole in the familiar deck that Hongjoong had spent hours polishing in his life. More of the men fell down into the lower levels of the ship. Their screams signalled some signs of survival, and Hongjoong did not hesitate for another moment.

With another match, he lit his own shirt after ripping it off his body hastily. The dry fabric caught fire immediately, and like a falling star, it followed down into the hole in the ship that held the injured victims.

Before Hongjoong could go after them to check if it burned as well as it could or if they would be able to put it out first, he was grabbed from the side, however.

His body crashed onto the wood roughly, making pain erupt in his lower back once more. 

It was Hanbyeol above him, the large and threatening man nothing like the mildly annoyed mate Hongjoong knew him as. Hanbyeol had spent so much time rolling his eyes at his duty to look after Youjin and Hongjoong that Hongjoong genuinely got scared when the large man began hacking at him with a knife.

He began twisting and struggling in a desperate fight, not having his sword nearby anymore. He had to trust in his legs as he roughly kicked the man in the stomach. Hanbyeol gagged, and his stony grip on Hongjoong's left hand weakened for a second.

Hongjoong seized the moment to grab at the man's belt and bring forth another knife. Hanbyeol held him down, both of them rolling over the ground as they tried to keep each other from stabbing their bodies. It seemed futile, Hongjoong's smaller body far weaker than the one of the tall man, but he still gritted his teeth through it. Sweat pooled on his forehead, and the stench of smoke in the air tried to distract him with the need to cough. The hard wood under them dug into Hongjoong's bones.

Hanbyeol's long legs were trapping Hongjoong's soon, not leaving him any room to fight back.

As much as it pained him, Hongjoong was left with no other choice but to repeatedly stab the man in the side as soon as the smell of fire distracted him for a split second. The feeling of metal penetrating skin had never brought jut as much guilt with it than when Hanbyeol rolled off him to clutch his side, his bloodied hands lifted in defence. Yet, Hongjoong had no option to stop. He could only save his own life when he killed the man he considered a friend.

Hongjoong was moving over, weakened by his own injuries and with his mind blurry, as another attacker grabbed him from behind. Something wrapped around his neck the same second and roughly dragged him away from where he had just risen his dagger to end the man he had known for all his life.

The weapon cut into Hongjoong's neck viciously, wrapping around it multiple times and slicing open his flesh. He scrambled to drop his dagger and reach up, trying to get his fingers between the murderous whip and his neck in a futile attempt. The weapon was asphyxiating him, making his smoke-tortured lungs scream at him in protest when he failed to breathe.

His gasps for air fell on deaf ears as he was dragged, further away from the fire and the yells of the last dying pirates down in the burning ship. His body twisted against the sole hold of the weapon around his neck, but it did not give out even as it hauled him along.

Dark spots were dancing around his vision by the time the suffocating grip around his throat finally eased. As the whip dropped from his neck, Hongjoong weakly rolled around and onto his knees.

Youjin was standing in front of him with his sword pointed right at Hongjoong's face. His expression was blank, his lidded eyes not giving any incentive on what he was thinking. 

Hongjoong sluggishly hit the flat side of the sword with his hand, trying to get it further off him while he still massaged his bleeding and ripped throat. He wanted to collapse and give up already.

Youjin made a sound akin to a chuckle before he kicked Hongjoong over. The press of his boot against the boy's shoulder was not even too brutal, but it had Hongjoong fall like a broken doll. His blood loss was starting to give him a headache, and his muscles protested against his every move.

It was Hanbyeol who ultimately slinked over again and settled on Hongjoong's hips. Hongjoong could feel his body twitch weakly as the man pressed down on him, his eyes dark.

"Yer plans on maroonin' us failed, I suppose." A lost gaze over the deck accompanied Youjin' drawl. They were the only three people still alive on the ship that was gradually consumed by flames. The whole bow was ablaze with tall flames that licked at the dark night sky. There was nothing to scavenge here anymore.

Hongjoong blinked through blurry eyes as Hanbyeol's hands replaced his on his throat. The man slowly started pressing down. As he was gradually putting more weight into it, Hongjoong saw more dark spots dancing in front of his vision. He felt his consciousness slip from him as he was disabled at answering.

He was still losing blood, had it curse through his veins wildly in excitement and fear. Hanbyeol's tall body above him did not help his situation of losing his composure. Soon, he could feel his body reacting to the macabre pull of death. Hanbyeol pressed his thigh down against his crotch as he felt him harden.

A pathetic whine tumbled from Hongjoong's lips as he desperately arched against the man one last time, ready to leave this world behind.

However, that was also the moment that Hanbyeol decided to let go of his throat. In a sudden shift in intentions, he instead wrapped one arm around Hongjoong's naked waist to pull his slender body against his broad frame. He ground down on him more, and with another moan of pain and pleasure, Hongjoong allowed himself to stabilise his hold on the man's shoulders. His head was empty of all thoughts as his hips kicked up, searching for friction.

"Youjin." 

Hanbyeol's voice was low and rough in his throat. It did something to Hongjoong, keenly pressing on his sensitive nerves until he writhed under Hanbyeol in need for more.

Death looming around the corner and reaping the souls of their passed mates made it all the more intense. The fire nearby, the two men who wanted to kill him above him, and the blood loss, it all made Hongjoong feel the best way of drunk. He felt energised with adrenaline, nearly laughing at how he could die at any given second.

He felt good. All of his pain and fear started to feel good.

Youjin took notice of his peculiar behaviour within seconds. He knew Hongjoong's every need from how intimate they usually were. No doubt did he notice his shift in the mood right away.

Hongjoong could not see him from where he was, but the hand that reached out to stroke his cheek made him shudder.

Hanbyeol did not waste another second. He undid the laces of his breeches hastily and pulled Hongjoong's pants down from his hips even faster. Hongjoong shuddered when he felt the cold air on his skin, making him shiver and whine.

Hanbyeol sunk into him without problems. Hongjoong was still loose and wet from the prior escapades with Youjin, and his body welcomed the other man willingly. He arched his back despite the pain as he was filled deliciously. He knew more pain was about to come when Hanbyeol gradually began moving his hips into his warmth, but he could not care less. He was delirious, not minding the pool of their own blood they were sitting in. Instead, his hands scrambled for purchase on Hanbyeol's shoulders and Youjin's pants at the same time.

The two pirates were impatient. Hanbyeol barely left Hongjoong the time to adjust when he already started slamming into him with punishing force. His hands were grabbing onto Hongjoong's waist, not mindful of his injuries as he dug his fingers into his flesh. Hongjoong had tears in his eyes from the pain, but he felt so good, every thrust felt ten times more intense than the last.

Youjin, too, soon joined them. He watched the spectacle for a second, weighing their options, but ultimately decided to indulge. His fingers roughly grabbed Hongjoong's chin as he sunk his cock into his abused throat. Immediately, the man's little noises were shut up.

Hongjoong took it all. He gladly let himself get suffocated as he was barely able to respond to Youjin from how Hanbyeol made his body shake at every thrust. He was trembling from the overload of sensations that crashed into him like a wave, and his fingers uselessly scratched themselves bloody on the rough ground.

The paired groans of the men above him nearly made Hongjoong forget the stench of death and fire in the air. Their lungs were congested with poisonous smoke, but they ignored it in favour of getting lost in pleasure. 

Hongjoong gagged around Youjin at a particularly deep thrust down his throat, making the man give a low hum above him. He clearly enjoyed how Hanbyeol pushed Hongjoong further down on him at every thrust, and his appreciative fingers held Hongjoong around the head so he would not suffer too much damage on his skull.

Hanybeol's patience quickly ran thin. He snapped his hips into Hongjoong faster and harder, his sweat dripping down on Hongjoong's blood-smeared stomach. His grunts got deeper and breathier by the second, and soon, Hongjoong felt him get out of rhythm, too.

Youjin was the one to hold him down far more gentle as Hongjoong spasmed. Hanbyeol grabbed his weeping length at the same time that he finished inside, making a mess of Hongjoong's guts. His big hand did things to Hongjoong's weak mind that had the heat in his belly curl oh so deliciously.

He followed shortly after Hanbyeol and added to the disgusting mix of fluids on his stomach. His legs were numb by now, and Hanbyeol, who quickly stood and fixed his clothes also took no second to look at him.

"I be preparin' a clipper. Bring 'im when ye finish." His order was short and left no room to discuss. As he left, Hongjoong handed himself over to Youjin and let him use his mouth with throaty moans as he, too, reached his peak. His warm and lively erection in Hongjoong's mouth had an abstract character of an anchor to Hongjoong's mind. It kept him grounded and reminded him that no, he was not dead yet. Not as long as he could taste Youjin's come on his tongue.

Youjin forced him to swallow it all down and only let him breathe again after he deemed himself clean. As he slipped from Hongjoong's abused mouth, the boy merely stayed where he was. He felt detached from reality even as the noise of the ship crackling in the fire reached his ears again. 

He was wrecked beyond repair, and no way would he be able to hold his weight any longer.

He did not even try to open his eyes anymore. He merely left it to Youjin to collect him and bring him to a safer place. All pain in his body had numbed down to a dull throb in his aching limbs. His mind sunk into the darkness like on a soft bed.

-

Hongjoong was not asleep for too long. When he awoke the next time, he was already on a tiny boat that barely fit the three of them. They were swaying on the waves a few hundred meters away from the mighty pirate ship that was in the middle of sinking. The fires that were hugging the whole vessel like a deadly lover were brightening up the sky and seemed to reach the stars.

The spectacle was horrifying and satisfying all at the same time. While it held everything that ever had meant home for Hongjoong, it also destroyed all the things that had ever scared him. There went the men that had looked at him with contempt, that had expected the impossible from him, and that had tried to end his life. 

The heat and brightness of the fire would soon alert close navy ships to the tragedy without a doubt. Hongjoong knew that they should leave, but he also could not deny his fascination at watching the _Sea Wanderer_ burn. The hull with the precious figurehead loomed in the sky as if the mermaid it pictured was trying to call out to the gods and get salvation. 

"It be takin' some time fer 'er to scuttle. Let's set sail."

Youjin's drawl behind Hongjoong was familiar. It spent comfort in a cold night that was filled with fire and death. Hongjoong was sure he would remember this day for a long time, even more so since he had not been alone.

He was not the sole survivor of the legacy of his father's crew. A whole lot of pirates had found their grave in Davy Jones' locker today. The three of them would be the only ones around to tell the story of their betrayal.

At the memory of the mutiny, Hongjoong abruptly whipped his head around. His eyes were sharp as they found Hanbyeol behind him. The man had been watching the fire with his lips parted in silent amazement and the flames reflecting in his dark irises. Now that Hongjoong looked at him, though, he redirected his stare at the man.

With a resounding slap, Hongjoong's hand connected with the man's cheek. Youjin winced at the noise, but he started rowing them away from the spectacle anyway.

Hanbyeol barely flinched. His gaze stayed serious even as he curiously cocked his head.

"That been fer tryin' to feed me to them sharks. Bastards."

One of the corners of Hanbyeol's mouth twitched amusedly. 

"As if we could e'er do that to ye, picaroon. Now, what be yer plans? Ye ready to find a new crew an' start a new voyage?"

It sounded wonderful. A crew that was not as dangerous and would fit all three of them.

Hongjoong nodded.

"Aye. Let's to that. Liv may know where to start."


End file.
